It is clear that there is a lot that hinges on the outcome of the various criminal and civil proceedings taking place regarding this issue of steroids in baseball. Both Mr. Clemens and Mr. McNamee’s testimonies will be subject to intense scrutiny. Not only does the reputation of one of baseball’s best pitchers lie in the balance, but how baseball looks to the future will be shaped by these outcomes. I trust that Senator Mitchell and Commissioner Selig take their responsibilities in this matter very seriously.

However, this confidence does not address my underlying question about why these proceedings are even necessary in the first place. As they should be, criminal investigators and prosecutors are doing their jobs investigating how the law might have been broken. The truth will undoubtedly be hashed and rehashed in civil proceedings and it is clearly in the best interests of Major League Baseball to lead the way towards eliminating illegal drug use from within its ranks. Naturally, the press will be there reporting to the American people every step of the way. All of this should be taking place. But what does any of that have to do with this Committee? Although hearing all of the juicy details may be intriguing, certainly the infinite wisdom of Congress has its limits. I suggest that we stick to debating policy and reforming government.

Congress should not be conducting a dog and pony show simply for the benefit of a national TV audience when we could be investigating the billions of dollars that the federal government wastes. The committee should be spending its time on oversight and government accountability not on ‘he said, she said’ dispute resolution.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 at 4:06 pm and is filed under Politics .